Haryana govt watched crowd swell, didn’t act
CHANDIGARH: Administrative lapses allowed followers of controversial sect leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to rampage through Panchkula on Friday as Haryana’s BJP government misread the build-up before a court convicted the man of rape.
Starting with a trickle since a week ago, about 200,000 supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief swamped Chandigarh’s satellite township where the CBI special court is located. They ran amok after the verdict, torching vehicles and damaging property.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar admitted there had been lapses and promised to “compensate for the losses”.
“Haryana government made arrangements, but there was a huge mob ... He (Dera chief) has lakhs of followers in the country and in the state. We tried to stop them,” he said.
Also, he didn’t entirely blame the Dera people for the situation getting out of hand. “Some miscreants entered the crowd,” he said. At least 30 people died in police firing to quell the violence, which spread to parts of northern India, including New Delhi.
The opposition demanded Khattar’s resignation for the deaths and violence.
State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar said government failed miserably in handling the sensitive situation.
“The chief minister must resign … The situation went out of hands in Panchkula because of the government’s failure. The government should have dissuaded the Dera followers from assembling in such large numbers.”
Haryana’s leader of the opposition, Abhay Chautala, said Friday’s violence exposed the BJP government’s ineptness in handling law and order.
The BJP government appears to have learnt no lessons from the 2014 Satlok Ashram violence and the Jat stir for reservation in jobs and education in February 2016.
Haryana government made arrangements, but there was a huge mob... He (Dera chief) has lakhs of followers in the country and in the state. We tried to stop them. ML KHATTAR, Haryana CM
Violence was also reported from beyond Haryana. The railway stations in Malout and Balluanna in Punjab were partially burned down, police said. A power station near Mansa, also in Punjab, was attacked and two vehicles were torched there. In Rajasthan’s Ganganagar, a vehicle was burnt.
Arson was also reported from several places in Delhi, where the assembly of more than four people was prohibited.
As the clashes intensified, the Punjab and Haryana high court said the sect will have to compensate for the losses and sought a list of its properties. More than 1,000 Dera followers were arrested.
The CBI court will announce the quantum of punishment for Singh on August 28. Singh faces up to seven years’ in jail. He was taken into custody by the Haryana police, and was transferred to a jail in Rohtak in a chopper.
Late evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence (and) urge everyone to maintain peace.”
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also condemned “the rampage and lawlessness in Haryana” and called for peace.
Fears of mass unrest over Singh’s trial grew earlier this week after some 50,000 of his supporters gathered and stockpiled weapons at the cult’s headquarters in Sirsa, where he repeatedly raped two women followers 15 years ago. Singh is the latest among several self-styled godmen accused of rape and other crimes. Another guru with millions of followers, Asaram, and his son are also in jail on rape charges.
Singh is also under investigation over allegations that he convinced 400 male followers to undergo castration so they could get closer to god, a charge he denies.